Hi, my name is Reagan Hall and I’m a senior at Waukee High School. I am involved in softball, National Honor Society and take part in Silver Cord. I signed up for the APEX EMT class because at the time, I was still struggling to choose between a career in physical therapy or a career as an EMT. I also have parents who are first responders and this class was going to be able to give me a look into what their jobs are like.

My APEX experience was amazing and honestly more than I was expecting it to be. My instructors were patient and worked with my classmates and me everyday to make sure that we felt comfortable with the skills before going out into the real world. The ability to have ride times and clinicals were something I will never forget and an experience that I wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere else for free. Overall, I am very grateful for the experience and glad that I took a chance on the class.

By taking the APEX EMT class I learned everything ranging from taking basic vitals all the way to helping people who are having heart attacks and seizures. I never thought that I was going to learn as much as I did taking this class but in just a single semester we were able to learn how to help people when they are at their lowest. Most importantly, we learned how to act around patients. We learned how to be kind, patient, and respectful towards people, even if they weren’t always kind back to us. At the end of the day, that was more important than any skill we could have learned.

My favorite part about the EMT class was the ride times and clinicals. I was able to take all the skills we learned and use them in the real world. Plus, all the emergency rooms and stations I worked with were all very patient with me and took me under their wing to show me what it was like to be an EMT. I was also very fortunate to have a class that became very close very quickly. Everyone was willing to help everyone else and work with each other to make everyone the best we could be. Also, like I said before, I had the best instructors I could ask for that made class fun and engaging. 

Next year I will be going to the University of Iowa for Pre-Physical Therapy. After taking APEX Exercise and Sport Science last year and EMT this year, both experiences helped me make that decision. I do want a career as an EMT at least through college and although I am not going to college to be an EMT, this class helped me realize that being an EMT is not something I want to give up completely after I graduate. Depending on how the next few years go, I may just continue on past college as an EMT. I am grateful for the experience and the opportunities APEX gave me to help decide my future.